Trunk.



No. 844,393. v PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907.

G. H. PAXTON. Y

TRUNK.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 6, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS co., wAsHmaroN, n. c4

PATENTED FEB. 19,1907.

C. H. PAXTON.

TRUNK.

APPLICATION FILED JAILB, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1n: cams Pinks co., wasmrsamu, n. c.

CYRUS H. PAXTON, OF OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN.

TRUNK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Application filed January 6, 1906. Serial No. 294,895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OYRUs H. PAXTON, residing in Oshkosh, in the countyof Winnebago and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Trunks, of which the following is a description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part ofthis specification.

My invention has relation to improvem ents in trunks.

The primary object of the invention is to provide, in a form of trunkwherein the front of the trunk-body is open and is adapted to be closedby two outwardly-opening doors, a strong and enduring structure whichwill withstand to the maximum the rough handling to which trunks areordinarily subjected and which will be, furthermore, ornate inappearance, the improvements being adapted not only for ordinarytraveling-trunks, steamer-trunks, 850., but also adapted for use toparticular advantage in connection with socalled bureau, dresser, orwardrobe trunks.

With the above primary object and other incidental objects in view theinvention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, ashereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view with one of thedoors open. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on theline 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a trans verse section on the same plane asFig. 3, but with the door closed, parts broken away. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a horizontalsection through one corner of the trunk, showing the manner of fasteningthe drawer-supports. Fig. 7 is a vertical section through a fragment ofthe trunk, parts broken away, showing a modified form of door; and Fig.8 is a cross-section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7.

The numeral 9 indicates the main portion or body of the trunk, which isprovided with an open front side. This trunk-body is of ordinary formand is preferably cut and made square, so that it is without diagonalcuts, whereby a very rigid and strong trunkbody throughout is produced.

The closing and opening of the open front side of the trunk-body iscontrolled by means of two hinged doors 10 10, the hinges thereof beingsecured to the opposite ends of the trunk-body and the hinge-strapsbeing continued from the hinge-joint and then bent around against thefront sides of the doors and secured thereto, as clearly shown in Fig.5. The four edges of the door 10 are bound with a rectangular metallicbinding-frame 11. All four sides of this frame project beyond the edgesof the door, and the projecting portion at the top is bent inwardly atright angles to form an inwardly-extending flange 12, and the projectingportion of the outer side of the said frame is bent rearwardly at rightangles to form a rearwardlyextending flange 13. The door 10 is alsobound with a metallic binding-frame 14; but this frame is without aninner side portion, so that the inner edge of the door 10 is unprovidedwith the metallic binding, as is the case with the inner edge of door10. However, if preferred, the frame 14 may be in the form of a completerectangular frame, so as to also bind the inner edge of door 10. Thethree sides of the frame 14 project beyond the edges of the door 10, andthe top projecting portion is bent inwardly at right angles to form aninwardly-extending flange 15, and the outer side portion is bentrearwardly at right angles to form a rearwardly-extending flange 16. Theinwardly-extending flanges 12 and 15 of the respective doors inconjunction with the upper edges of the doors proper form grooves whichwhen the doors are closed are adapted to receive therein the front edgeof the top of the trunk-body, with the result that the top edges of thedoors proper are disposed beneath the top of the trunk-body, while theinwardly-extending flanges overlap the front edge of the top of thetrunkbody.

In regard to the rearwardly extending flanges l3 and 16, these lieagainst or overlap the opposite ends of the trunk-body, and relative tothe projecting portion of the inner side of the metallic frame 11 ofdoor 10, this projecting portion when the doors are closed overlaps theinner edge of door 10, and hence serves to cover and protect the jointwhich would otherwise be exposed at the meeting edges of the doors.

Door 10 is preferably provided with ordinary forms of spring-clasps 1717, which are provided with recesses 18 18, adapted when thespring-clasps are thrown down to be engaged by locking-fingers 19 19,projecting from the inner edge of the door 10.

A hinge-lock 20 is carried at the bottom of the trunk-body, and thehinge member thereof is adapted to be turned upwardly against and lockedto the door 10, the said hinge member being provided with a suitablekeyhole. A hinge-lock 21 is also carried at the top edge of the door 10,and the hinge member of this look is adapted to be turned down againstand locked to the top of the body of the trunk, the said hinge memberlikewise being provided with a keyhole for the insertion of a key.

Corner metallic protecting-pieces 22 22 are disposed at the uppercorners of the doors, and similar metallic pieces 23 23 are carried atthe lower corners of the trunk-body, the metallic frames 11 and 14 atthese points be ing cut away to accommodate said protecting pieces 23. i

As heretofore stated, my improvements are applicable to the ordinaryform of trunk as wellas to steamentrunks, and when such trunks areconstructed in accordance with the invention they provide an exceedinglypracticable arrangement and one in which ready access may be obtained tothe entire interior of the trunk. The same arrangement and constructionfor opening and closing the trunk by the provision of the twohinge-doors, as described, is also well adapted for and may be used togreat advantage in connection with socalled bureau or dresser trunks,and, as hereinb efore stated, the invention is shown in connection witha trunk of this character. 1

Referring to the bureau or dresser arrangement, the numerals 24 indicate.a series of drawers which may be slidably supported within the body ofthe trunk in any desired manner. I prefer, however, to provide as thesupport for each drawer a U-shaped supporting-frame, which comprises afront cleat or strip 25 and side cleats or strips 26 26. Each frontcleat extends across the front of the trunk-body from one end piece ofsaid trunk-body to the other, the opposite ends of each of said frontcleats being seated in recesses 27 in the end pieces of the trunk-body,as clearly shown in Fig. 6. The front cleats besides being thussupported in the recesses 27 are also anchored to the end pieces of thetrunk by means of straps 28, which are secured to said front cleats andare then extended through openings 29 in the end pieces of thetrunk-body, and their outer ends are bent at right angles andcountersunk in recesses 30 on the outer sides of the end pieces of thetrunlsbody, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. By the described means forsupporting and securing the front cleats 25 the said cleats are not onlyfirmly supported, but, furthermore, by employing in connection therewiththe straps 28 arranged as described a means is provided forcounteracting longitudinal strain on the trunkthat is to say, any strainto which the trunk may be subjected in a line extending in a directionfrom one end piece of the trunk-body to the opposite end piece thereofis counteracted.

The side cleats or strips '26 of each U- shaped drawer-supporting frameare secured to the respective end pieces of the trunk-body by means ofbolts 31 31, as shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 6. It will be noticedparticularly from Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings that the front edges ofthe end pieces of the trunk-body and the outer edges of the doors 10 and10 are mitered or beveled, so that when the doors are closed amiter-jointis formed.

When the hinge-do ors are closed and locked and it is desired to gainaccess to the interior of the trunk, all that is necessary to be done isto unlock the doors and turn the same outwardly on their hinges, Accessis thereby obtained to the interior, and when the bureau or dresser formof trunk is employed the drawers may of course be readily slid outwardlyand inwardly on their supportingframes. M

It will be noticed that the front cleat or strip 25 of the lowerdrawer-supporting frame. (see particularly Figs. 1, 3, and 4) 1s setback slightly from the front edge of the bottom of the trunk-body. Thisleaves a space of just suflicient Width to admit the thickness of thedoors 10 and 10 when said doors are closed. The inner sides of the doorswhen said doors are closed rest directly against the front edge of thelower front cleat 25, and the outer faces of the doors are in directalinement or flush with the front edge of the bottom piece of thetrunk-body. It will also be observed, particularly from Fig. 4, that asthe lower edges of the metallic bordering frames of the doors projectbelow the lower edges of said doors, as hereinbefore referred to, thesaid projecting portions of the frames when the doors are closed fitagainst the front edge of the bottom of the trunk-body. The under sideof the bottom ofthe trunk-body is provided with the usual strenthening-strips 32 the strip at the front and t e strip at the rearhaving the casters 33 mounted therein. The front strip 32 also projectsslightly forward of the front edge of the bottom of the trunkbody, andthe lower projecting edges of the lower portions of the metallic framesof the doors rest on top of this projection from the forward under strip32. The forward edge of this forward under strip 32 also acts as a guardto prevent any object from striking the front edge of the bottom of thetrunk body.

A great point of advantage possessed by my invention is the strength andrigidity which is imparted to the entire trunk structure. It will beevident that the metallic binding frames not only materially strengthenthe doors, but also the inwardlyprojecting top flanges of the two frames11 and 14, and the rearwardly-projecting side flanges of said frame andthe downward projections from the lower portions of said frames securestrength and rigidity at the ITO joints. For instance, in the case ofthe top flanges, the said flanges being raised a slight distance abovethe upper edges of the doors,

grooves are formed which receive the front other words, the upper edgesof the doors when the doors are closed seat themselves beneath the frontedge of the top of the trunk-body, while the inwardly-projecting flangesoverlap the front edge of the top of the trunk-body, and with respect tothe lower edges of the doors these fit against the front edge of thefront strip of the lower U- shaped drawer-supporting frame, and thelower edges of said doors fit against the up per side of the projectingbottom piece of the trunk-body. By this arrangement the trunkbody isbraced from the top to the bottomthat is to say, it is braced againstany strains tending either to separate the top from the bottom of thetrunk-body or any strain tending to force the top and bottom of thetrunkbody together. The overlapping top flanges of the metallic framesact to prevent the firstnamed contingency-that is, the separation of thetop from the bottom of the trunk and the fact that the upper edges ofthe doors fit beneath the top of the trunk-body and the lower edges ofsaid doors fit against the protruding bottom piece of the trunk-bodyserves to counteract the last-named contingency-via, the forcing of thetop and bottom of the trunk-body toward each other;

The rearwardly-extending flanges from the outer portions of the metallicbinding-frames of the doors tend to counteract longitudinal strain onthe trunk-body in a direction tending to separate one end piece of thesaid trunk-body from the other. The tendency of the end pieces of thetrunk-body to spread apart or separate on account of excessivelongitudinal strain is also guarded against by reason of the provisionof the anchor-straps secured to the forward front strip of the U- shapeddrawer-supporting frames and extended outwardly through openings in theend pieces of the trunk-body and being bent at right angles andcountersunk into recesses.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I show a modified construction, wherein the doors 10and 10 do not have their outer edges beveled to meet and match similarbeveled surfaces at the forward edges of the end pieces of the trunkbodywhen the doors are closed to form miterjoints, and instead of the frontedges of the top and bottom pieces of the trunk-body being edge of thetop of the trunk-body, or, in,

flush with the front edges of the end pieces of the trunk-body the saidtop and bottom pieces project forwardly slightly beyond the front edges-of the end pieces, so that when the doors are closed the outer sideedges of the doors overlap the front edges of the contracted end piecesof the trunk-body.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a trunk, the combination with atrunk-body having an open side, of doors hinged to the ends of saidtrunk-body and o ening outwardly, a hinge-lock secured to t e bottom ofthe trunk-body, the swinging member of said lock-adapted to engage oneof the door members, and a hinge-lock secured to the upper edge of saidlatter door member and the swinging member of the lock adapted to engagethe top of the trunk-body.

2. In a trunk, the combination with the body thereof provided with anopen front side, of U-shaped drawer-supporting frames secured within thetrunk-body, the front strip of each of said frames extending across thefront of the trunk-body from end to end thereof, and the side strips ofsaid frame extending along the inner sides of the end pieces of thetrunk-body, and straps secured to opposite ends of each forward strip ofa U- shaped frame and extending outwardly through openings in the endpieces of the trunk-body and bent at right angles against the outersides of the end pieces of the trunkv body.

3. In a trunk, the combination with the body thereof provided with anopen front side, of U-shaped drawer-supporting frames secured within thetrunk-body, the front strip of each of said frames extending across thefront of the trunk-body from end to end thereof, and the side strips ofsaid frame extending along the inner sides of the end pieces of thetrunk-body, the opposite ends of the forward strip of each U-shapedframe being seated in recesses in the end pieces of the trunk-body, andstraps secured to opposite ends of each forward strip of a U-shapedframe and extending outwardly through openings in the end pieces of thetrunk-body and bent at right angles against the outer sides of the endpieces of the trunk-body.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CYRUS I-I. PAXTON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE HILTON, BART HEIss.

